Everything In Time: B-Sides Ra [Enhanced, Best of]

It is to No Doubt's credit that an album of their "B" sides, combined with material that didn't make previous albums, could be so good. This is clearly a group overflowing with talent, originality and creativity.

This album rivals "Rock Steady" and "Tragic Kingdom" in intensity, with rocking reggae and ska beats, guaranteed to have you tapping and nodding along from the first listen. Not recommended for your CD drive if you work in a formal office setting, because even with headphones, it'll be painfully obvious what you're up to.

Stand out songs include "New Friend", "Oi to the World", "Full Circle", and the slower "Cellophane Boy", "I Throw My Toys Around" (with Elvis Costello)and the classic title song.

No Doubt's "B" is better than many other's bytes or barks.

Amanda Richards, November 9, 2004

This collection is a great piece to go along with No Doubt's wildly popular 2003 release of hit singles, The Singles 1992-2003. And contrary to the last review of this item, No Doubt has indeed not broken up.

Everything in Time encompasses all of no doubt's obscurites into a fantastic ride of an album. It all starts out with the 6 B-sides from the Return of Saturn Era, where they were producing so much material that some of it had to be put as b-sides to the album's singles. "Big Distraction" and "Cellophane Boy" are true gems. The actual song "Everything in Time (Los Angeles)" is a mellow, beautiful piece that bares a soulful message. "Everything in Time (Los Angeles)" is also reconnection of writing between the band and Eric Stefani, who left the group to pursue a career in animation in 1995. Out of the Rarites ("Everything in Time (Los Angeles)", "You're So Foxy", "Panic" "New Friend", and "Everything in Time (London")) all of which have never been released, "You're So Foxy" and "New Friend" would have to take the cake for the most fun, wildly imaginative, songs- and the overall standout tracks of the album. Covers of "Oi to the World" by the Vandals, "Sailin' On" by Bad Brains, along with the collaboration of "I Throw My Toys Around" W/ Elvis Costello, also pepper this colorful collection with pure joy and uninhibited fun and flavor. The album ends with a cluster of three remixes, one of the song "New" from the Return of Saturn album , and two of the song "Rock Steady"- all of which prove to be ass shakingly good, along with this entire stellar collection.

Taken from the Everything in Time booklet:

"There are six b-sides and three outtakes from the Return of Saturn recording sessions included in this collection. The band found themselves writing some of the strongest material of their career and, in turn, yielded far too many songs for one record. In an effort to best show the full range of their writing , certain tracks were left behind. Some were eventually released as b-sides. For the band, it was a joy to rediscover these tracks for this collection, many for the first time since the original sessions."

Standout Tracks: "Cellophane Boy", "Big Distraction", "You're so Foxy", "New Friend"

Do yourself a favor and discover this collection.

First off, I would like to say that I love No Doubt (but though I love Gwen, and her music is good in its own way, I think that the solo career was a mistake). I think that they are the most talented band of all time, certainly the most talented band that I have ever heard. I just started to love No Doubt recently, and ordered all their CDs. Though this is a CD of B-Sides, I think that it is one of their best and that the songs should have all made it onto the records they were written for.

1. Big Distraction: 5/5. I love this song, I can't exactly explain why. The horn parts in it sort of sound like their early ska stuff, and I love the tune.

2. Leftovers: 4.5/5. Not my favorite on this CD, but it is good in its own way. It is a bit slow, and reminds me of a cross between something from Tragic Kingdom and Return of Saturn.

3. Under Construction: 5/5. I like the tune and guitar parts of this song. It reminds me of 'Six Feet Under' from Return of Saturn.

4. Beauty Contest: 5/5. A sad song, and has very deep lyrics. The phrase 'born to blossom, bloom to perish' is originally used in this song, but some of you may recognize it from Gwen's 'What You Waiting For?'. Wait until the last few seconds of the song, it's really cute!

5. Full Circle: 5/5. I love this song. The tune is really catchy, and the lyrics are good.

6. Cellophane Boy: 5/5. Another song that reminds me of a cross between something from Tragic Kingdom and Return of Saturn. Slow tune, not very catchy, but the lyrics are great.

7. Everything In Time (Los Angeles): 5/5. This song and Everything In Time (London) sound completely different, but they are both sad sounding and very beautiful lyrically.

8. You're So Foxy: 4/5. I like it, but it's just not one of my favorites. The verses are completely different from the chorus, and that's what sets it apart. On the inside cover of the CD, it said that this was a possible single, but if it was I don't think it would have even made it into the top 20. It doesn't sound like a song that you would hear on the radio.

9. Panic: 5/5. Love the lyrics, but the tune makes me all jittery. Another song where the verses sound completely different from the chorus.

10. New Friend: 5/5. This is one of my favorites from this CD. It's very reggae sounding, and the tune is so catchy! I think that this should have made it onto Rock Steady. Also, the song 'In My Head' from Rock Steady came from this song.

11. Everything In Time (London): 5/5. A very good song, great lyrics, but it makes me want to cry sometimes.

12. Sailin' On: 4/5. This was a cover song, it was originally by the Bad Brains. I like the way that they have adapted and made it theirs, their version is much slower than the original.

13. Oi To The World: 5/5. A really cool Christmas song. The lyrics are awesome, and though this wasn't their song originally, Gwen sounds truly great singing it.

14. I Throw My Toys Around: 5/5. This song was from the Rugrats movie, and features Elvis Costello. The tune is slow but catchy, and the lyrics are really cute.

15. New & Approved: 4/5. The remix is good, but goes on for too long. Personally, I liked the original better.

16 and 17. A Real Love Survives and A Rock Steady Vibe: 3/5. Catchy beat, but it isn't really by No Doubt. It mostly just has Miss Dynamite and Sweetie Irie rapping, and then occasionally has Gwen saying "A real love survives" in the background. Not my favorites.

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